Bravery
by yesklaine
Summary: Two members of – what was about to become – the biggest boyband in the world, two normal boys casually falling in love for the first time, two teenagers experiencing fame, money, girls, contracts. They'll have to deal with all of it. And you get to read my version of this unique romance that I have the pleasure to witness.
1. Control

Hi there! Power was out so I wrote this and decided it was a good idea to post it. Please review and english is not my first language, so if there are any typos, let me know and i'll fix it. It'd recommend you to search for "grenade" live performances and look at Harry and Louis after you read this chapter. I'll stop babbling now. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>February 2011. Wednesday, 20.<strong>

It was a tall building. Things were aligned perfectly on the desk.

— I can't fucking deal with this anymore. It's not fair and we don't give a flying shit if you think the world is gonna hate us. I'm off.

The entire room was speechless and every body shook a bit with the bang of the door. There was a 40 seconds silence after he left. Harry closed his eyes. Louis was right. It wasn't fair and they don't care about what's gonna be on the papers. They do not. But right now, inside that lonely, perfectly organized room on a tall building in Birmingham, there was no other choice. This company can end their careers at any moment if the contract is broken. Even though Harry was tired and slightly disgusted by the situation, it is the most important phase of his life.

— Please, keep going. I'll talk to him later.

Without hesitation, a man with a big nose and wearing a suit, stood up and cleared his throat. He was a little too excited, completely ignoring what just happened.

— You see, even though it's 2011, we cannot risk your careers. People won't buy your music. They won't. Trust me, we — he was pointing at the other people in the room — know better. Promotion is all about selling an image. What do you know about management? No, honestly, do you guys know anything about promotion? We're gonna take care of everything from now on. For the next five years, Modest and One Direction will be linked and we promise, by the end of the year, you're gonna make it to America. You are very talented boys but talent doesn't go anywhere without promotion, right? Right. Believe me, I know how a bright future looks like. — he smiled and it was visible that he was expecting a smile back from the boys. It didn't happen.

Every single men and women had huge smiles on their faces too. They were just done. All four of them. Niall was almost as disgusted as Harry. Liam looked like he was about to be sick. Zayn's expression was calm and he just went out the door, shaking hands with two older men while leaving. All the other boys were behind him and as soon as they left the building, two cars were waiting outside. They walked in silent, Harry opened the door to find Louis inside the car, checking his phone. He sat down and analized the other one's face.

— I'm scared to ask but are you okay? — Harry hesitated before asking. Louis didn't answer. — Lou, I totally support what you did. I do. But you know how business is. It's just business. Everything's fine, right? We're gonna be fine.

— No, Harry I don't know how business is. How the hell am I supposed to know that? I'm just a guy from Doncaster. This is bullshit. And you know what else? Hannah called. It's getting worse and I don't know what to tell her and now you get in the car saying it's just business and that we're gonna be alright. Answering your question: no, I'm not okay. I'm fucking pissed.

He sighed, out of breath from speaking. And went back to his phone.

Harry took Louis' phone away calmly, placed Louis' hands on his curls and touched his face in the most delicate way, while observing every centimeter of Louis' face. He leaned over very slowly for a kiss. It was the perfect kiss. No rush, not too much pressure on their lips, slow moves and tender touches. When they pulled away, Louis' eyes were still closed, so relaxed, almost like meditating. Harry smiled.

Later that night, on the LG Arena, they were ready to go on stage. It was their second concert from the X Factor Live Tour. From the backstage, it was possible to hear the loud noise coming from the audience. The adrenaline was high. They were living the dream. They had a quick group hug and gave each other good luck wishes before the first song started.

The excitement was almost too much for them. Zayn's body was shaking from head to toe. Niall smiled so big you could think his face was going to split in two. Liam couldn't stop walking around waving at the fans. But honestly, for Louis and Harry, that moment right there, giving each other smiles and giggles while singing, fighting with the inevitable smirks to get the song right, it was the closest to being public they would ever get. Sometimes Louis thinks they're lucky that Modest didn't talk about their stage interactions. At least not yet.


	2. Dawn

Because of their crazy schedule, Niall, Louis and Harry usually share hotel apartments, which is not a problem at all. They get along really well and thankfully, Niall doesn't mind when Harry and Louis cuddle all day. It was huge for only 3 boys and it felt a little weird but it sure was better than boot camp's room.

Louis got up feeling a bit hungover from the drinks he had with Zayn the night before. It didn't take too long for him to notice Harry with a cup of tea in hand, his perfectly shaped curls, staring out the window and mumbling songs to himself.

— Enjoying the view, Styles? — Louis said, while hugging him unexpectedly from behind. Harry laughed and turned around to give him a peck.

— I got you and Niall some tea. It's right there on the table. And by the way, are you sure Niall isn't dead or something? It's 11am, bloody hell. — It was true. Niall was always the last one to wake up, but when he did, there was no stopping that boy. They were now sitting on some kind of couch, Louis' right hand around Harry's shoulders. They were both smiling. — You know... I was thinking about Hannah. — Suddenly their smiles were gone. Why the hell would Harry think about Louis' girlfriend? Yes, the one he was cheating on! Louis didn't say anything and waited for some explanation.

He was 100% sure of his feelings towards Harry, but his girlfriend from Doncaster, Hannah, didn't suspect a thing. He was still avoiding the sexuality subject inside his own mind, there was no way he could tell his girlfriend he was in love with his male band mate and sometimes he even felt a little sorry for her. Hannah is a good girlfriend, they have fun together and are dating for about 6 months now, even though they haven't seen each other since they got into boot camp. Louis told Harry about Hannah while they were making out for the second time and promised he'd break up with her, but not by text, so she would have to come to one of their gigs. It wouldn't be that hard, since they'd be in Manchester in 20 days and it's very close to Doncaster.

But even then, Harry couldn't stop thinking about how wrong it was. He had crushes on guys back in high school and had a girlfriend too. It was confusing but a little less confusing than it was for Louis. Were they really boyfriends? Could Louis cheat on him too? Was it just sex? He didn't know the answers to any of these questions and they were having too much fun on tour and with the other boys, so it was a bit difficult to find a right place, far for paparazzi, far from screaming fans and far from the other boys where they could talk about it in private.

— I was just wondering if.. I don't know, man. It makes me feel bad for her and for myself. I don't wanna be a part of it, Louis. It's not something I'd normally do. We've been like this for 2 whole months and I've had enough, to be honest. — Harry and his slow talking were like torture. Every word coming out of his mouth, words Louis wanted to fight against since Harry started talking, they meant too much and took too long to come out and as soon as he paused, Louis started building up, ready to scream how wrong Harry was, how he wanted HIM over HER. — No Lou, let me finish. I can't wait until Manchester. We don't say it to each other very often but.. I love you, Louis. It's not school love, it's not friendship love. I wanna be with you and I'm ready to face everything with you, even those middle aged homophobes at Modest. Anything. Don't play with me. End this shit already so we can be together like a real fucking couple.

Louis dropped silent tears and his urge to scream was completely gone. Now he just couldn't find the right words to say. He was scared and a little lost, like after someone tells you a sad story about themselves and you'd rather run than say something. He wasn't ready to be with Harry, at least not now. Louis' best friend, Stan, was gay and he always admired him but... he never felt anything for men. Until now. The worst horror movie ever couldn't leave Louis this scared. The other boys knew about the hook ups, but none of them thought it was more than that.

So, right there, he knew it was too much to think about and Harry was waiting for him to say something, waiting for him to say he'd drive to Doncaster right away and break up with Hannah. But the only thing his mouth was willing to say was...

— Okay. — He got up and started walking to the bathroom, to take probably the longest bath of his life but... wait. What the hell is that? Crying made everything blurry. Louis blinked and a lonely tear fell. Oh. It was Niall.

— Morning, lads! Oh shit..

— Morning, Nialler. Harry bought tea. It's on the table. — Louis said that and disappeared behind the bathroom door, leaving Niall with his "what the fuck was that" face. He immediately searched for Harry, who was, again, staring out the window and trying not to cry.

— Hey man, what's up with Lou? He's crying, bro. Ya know what happened?

— He's taking responsibility for his acts. — Harry, simply, said. Leaving Niall more confused than he already was.


	3. Priorities

OH MY GOD HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE I hope you, your family and friends had a good time celebrating the beginning of 2015! Prayer circle for Larry to come out of the closet this year. I wrote this chapter mostly to end the Hannah/Louis storyline (even though she WILL appear later). Enjoy.

**Warning:** I'm gonna write smut very soon so stop reading now if you don't like it.

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><p><strong>March 2011. <strong>

After awkward days of gigs, signings, interviews and appearances together, Harry and Louis (and the rest of the band) were finally in Manchester. They were tired but Louis felt grateful for all the work. He was being well paid, getting free drinks, the best food in town and having fun but mostly, it made it easier to deal with the whole Harry/Hannah situation. Singing just takes his mind somewhere else and when Louis is on stage, it's like he _needs_ to entertain those people and make them go home feeling a little happier.

But now it was time to face the consequences and get it done. He wanted to be with Harry even if they had to hide. Hannah was gonna be there in a couple of hours and Louis is now trying to find the words to end a relationship that barely has a reason to. What should he tell her? "Hey Hannah it's been so long! I'm breaking up with you" would make him sound like a famous self centered bastard and that's not how he wanted to sound.

His phone was ringing and Louis was so lost in his thoughts he almost lost the call.

— Hey babe, it's me. — she sounded excited and Louis felt bad.

— Hi Hannah, how are you? Are you on your way? — he tried to sound positive.

— I am! Can't wait to catch up with you and the boys. Lou, can you repeat the hotel room's number again for me?

— It's 305. I gotta go now, Han. — He lied. — See you in a few hours, alright?

— Alright, bye!

He was mentally tired from thinking about the talk they had days ago and the way Harry said those things like a proper speech. Like he was rehearsing for weeks, playing it inside his head so many times it almost sounded emotionless while speaking. Harry didn't cry. Maybe it wasn't recent and he was feeling like that for too long. If you really get to know Harry, you'll know he doesn't speak out when something bothers him. He shows it instead. Maybe he tried to show it before and he didn't notice. But Louis couldn't blame him because it really wasn't their plan to fall in love with each other.

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><p><strong>3 hours after the call.<strong>

Louis was scared and at the same time determined to end this and live his life with the person he wanted to be with. Unfortunately, that wasn't Hannah and that's what he wanted to tell her. It wasn't her. He opened the door.

— Oh my god _FINALLY!_ — She was yelling and the hall echoed. They hugged. — Look at you! — She took a step back and stared at Louis. He smiled.

There was a long chat about random subjects: friends from Doncaster, their families and what they were up to in the past two months. It's now or never, Louis. End this so you and Harry can be together like a real fucking couple.

— Hannah... there's something we need to talk about. I want you to listen to me first, okay?

— Uh... okay. — Before Louis said that, she was excited and talking about their friends, but now her body was relaxed and they were looking inside each other's eyes.

— What I wanna tell you is that... I don't know, Hannah.. it feels like it isn't the same between us with the tour and everything else. I wanna be focused on my music. I don't know if you get what I'm trying to say but you're pretty, funny and I love being around you. I'll never _ever_ forget the good times we had together but... right now, I guess it'd be better if we were just friends. Is that alright? — Louis felt the whole world fall off his shoulders and it was amazing. _**Relief.**_ Yes, that was it. He was relieved to put it out and it was actually easier than he thought it would be.

— Well, what am I supposed to say? "Don't focus on your career, focus on me"? You know I'm not that type of person. Yes, Louis I'd love to be your friend. Even though it hurts me a little. I'm proud of you and when you take over the world, I'll be proud to call you my friend.

Louis didn't expect any less from her. They hugged and Hannah asked if she could watch the show from backstage tomorrow. Of course, the answer was yes. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and he could not be more thankful.


	4. Intimate

Hi, y'all! I thought about how I was going to write this all day. I guess every fanfic needs a good smut and here's my attempt to write one. I failed. Maybe I was meant to write fluff. I also used the word lifter for the first time ever. Enjoy.

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><p>Right after Hannah left, Louis started thinking about how he was going to tell Harry. A private and quiet yet comfortable and unforgettable way. With his phone in hand, he typed:<p>

**Louis 18:27: **Hi. I have news. I was thinking maybe we could meet at Rosso?

**Harry 18:33: **We're doing conversations now?

**Louis 18:35: **Turn off the bitch mode and be there.

**Harry 18:37:** I don't know what you're talking about. I'm on my way already, asshole.

Rosso was their favorite restaurant even before they met. He knew it was the perfect place. Got in the car, turned the radio on and How To Save a Life by The Fray was playing. Louis wondered what Harry was wearing and tried not to focus on the actual conversation they were about to have. He didn't need to think too much or be nervous, because even when they don't choose the right words, Louis and Harry understand each other.

Harry lied about being on his way because he wasn't there when Louis arrived. After 13 minutes, he walked in wearing tight jeans and a nice Rolling Stones sweater. Quirky as always. Louis was watching while Harry's eyes searched for their table. He looked like a lost puppy. Louis smiled and that was when their eyes met.

— Did you order those cottage pies? Nice shirt though.

— Good night, Mr Styles. Yes, I did order your stupid pie. Thank you for the compliment. Now sit your ass down. — Louis' joke made Harry laugh and that was a good sign. At least he was in a good mood.

— Let's go straight to the point, shall we? What exactly am I doing here?

— Well, I talked to Hannah and she was okay with it. You're here because the hotel's menu was terrible today and maybe, just maybe, because I wanted to tell you in person that I broke up with her to be with you. — Harry's expression when Louis finished talking was priceless.

— Did you? Oh god, are you serious? Louis, this is amazing. Ugh I wish I could kiss you right now. — The frustration was evident, but even then, they were both extremely happy and the food was great. — I think we should celebrate.

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><p><strong>Room 305<strong>

The sexual tension inside the lifter was unbelievable. There were cameras all over the place but the look in their eyes was enough to get them both so turned on, they could barely handle it. So when they finally got to room 305, Harry pushed Louis against the wall, using his arms to keep him there and they kissed. It was intense, desperate. Their hands were working fast to get rid of all the fabric between their bodies.

When they were both out of breath, Harry stopped and whispered very slowly:

— You're in so much trouble. I think I'm gonna have to make you pay.

Louis knew exactly what to do. He got on his knees, while Harry was sitting on the bed. Harry's cock was hard and he started slowly, teasing him with the tip of his tongue and looking inside Harry's eyes while doing it.

— _Faster._ — Harry's voice cracked. He was almost crying for Louis to go faster and that's what he did. He was sucking faster now, moaning into Harry's dick while having his head's movements manipulated by the other one's hand. — Oh.. my _god_ Louis.. don't stop. — Moans were getting louder, Harry had his head thrown back while Louis was getting faster and faster. His warm hands were going up and down Harry's torso and thighs. Louis stopped sucking and started giving him a handjob.

— Cum for me. — he said, looking inside Harry's eyes, whose response was sperm all over Louis' naked chest.

There was no time for speaking. Harry quickly got on top of Louis and starting going deeper as the moans were getting louder. Louis was begging for more, begging for Harry to fuck him. It was exactly what they needed: loud sex.

— Yes.. _UGH! _Deeper, Harry. — The rhythm was rough and they got to the climax at the same time, sweating and breathing heavily. Then Harry let his body fall next to Louis and they were now staring at the ceiling.

— That was our best fuck. — Harry felt the urge to kiss Louis. It was too fast. — You were perfect and I love you so much.

— I know, right? I was perfect and you were so into it! I wish you could see your face. — Louis joked.

— _What?_ I'm always into it. And I wish you could see your face too, you were about to cry.

That's how they spent the rest of the night. Joking while their naked bodies were perfectly intertwined, exactly like puzzle pieces. And that's how the fell asleep, talking about their future, tv shows and their favorite bands. Was it destiny? Luck? Were they meant to be? It didn't matter. Nothing outside that bed was relevant. That moment right there was the most important thing and all they could think about was how they'd fight for each other and fight for their love over everything else.


	5. Conditions

— Hi, did Niall tell you about the party tonight? — That was Liam on the phone, waking them up with his questions. Typical. They were both too sleepy to think. Their bodies on the same position as the night before.

— He didn't. We can't go anyway, we have a gig. — At that moment Louis started thinking about how Harry's morning voice was the sexiest. He was so lucky.

— No, dumbass. It's _AFTER_ the gig. Some guy from Modest called but didn't give any details. We're gonna rehearsal, have lunch and then we have a meeting with this guy. I'll text you the address. Caroline will be backstage with our clothes. The car is coming in 50 minutes. If Louis is with you, tell him to hurry the fuck up. We can't be late, capiche? — Did he say 50 minutes? _SHIT._ — See ya.

They got in the shower faster than you can say "what the fuck is happening" and after 2 hours and the fastest lunch they have ever had, they were now (sadly) going to meet the Modest guy. Louis went from excited to disgusted as soon as the car stopped.

— Good afternoon, boys. We're gonna have a chat about the party tonight. Please have a seat. — He was tall and smiley. A bit fake if you asked them. — Well, some management companies associated with The X Factor are throwing a big party tonight. As you know, Modest is one of them. Here's the thing: you're gonna be there, act cool, talk to everyone, our team will introduce you to some people, no sex, drugs, alcohol or fights. You understand? — He was happy, talking a little too fast and gesturing a little too much, while the boys looked extremely bored.

— What exactly are we gonna do there, then? That doesn't sound like fun at all. — Thank God Zayn asked because that's what all of them wanted to know. What's the point if they can't even drink?

— Guys, it's not a real party. Only management, people invited by management, millionaires and famous people are gonna be there. Think of it as your job and you're not supposed to have fun while working. — So basically, they can't drink, only boring rich people are gonna be there, they have to fake smiles and meet people they don't want to know. Great.

The boys almost forgot about it while performing, but when it was over, Caroline was running backstage with their suits, talking and organizing everything while trying to explain how to tie a tie. She was a lovely person but very professional at the same time. They were all dressed and ready to go in 45 minutes.

When they got to the party, a very well dressed woman came and quickly introduced herself before giving them instructions:

— Hello boys, I'm Angelina from Modest and I'm here to help you today. First, go there and talk to Harry Magee, he's one of the most important people at Modest. Remember to only refer to him as "Sir Magee", shake hands with him, tell him how he's doing a great job and how the party looks amazing. After that, I want you to come back here. Go.

And so did they. The party wasn't fancy, the music was loud and fake smiles were everywhere. It made them feel uncomfortable and hopeless. They had no choice but to be polite, smile and thank people they didn't even know. Niall wondered if he should feel lucky, if that's what he really wanted in the first place and if he was being ungrateful, when the brunette woman from Modest started talking again.

— Zayn, Liam, Niall and Harry you can walk around. Simon is over there and so is Cher, if you wanna talk. Don't forget this is a business party. Louis, please come with me.

She was walking fast and Louis was trying to keep up while thinking about how everyone in that company looks too excited about everything.

— George told me about your little storm in the office last month. So you and Harry are having an affair, is that correct? Be honest with me.

— I guess we can call it that way, yes. — He decided not to tell the "we're in love" part.

— So I'm assuming you're not dating that Hannah girl anymore, am I right?

— No, we broke up. — The fuck? Why are they talking about his love life? — Excuse me, what exactly are we discussing here?

— Your image. I don't care about your sexuality, but you're gonna have to learn to hold it back if you want a career. People seem to love your bromance with Harry, so we're gonna keep that. — The word bromance made Louis laugh. — We know you also wanna keep your little hidden fling, so we got you two girls today. See that blonde? That's Michelle. And that brunette over there is Eleanor. I want you to talk to them and pick one by the end of the night. We'll talk about the contract tomorrow morning. Be wise because you two are gonna hang out a lot.

It was the most ridiculous thing Louis has ever heard. A beard? What would Harry think about that? What if he had to kiss her in public? Would Harry get jealous? Maybe. But at least it would be safer for them.

The blonde girl turned around and smiled at him. She was pretty but very boring, her voice was annoying and it was clear she was a gold digger. He gave the "I gotta go have a wee" excuse and walked away.

Eleanor was definitely better than Michelle. Louis could easily imagine them hanging out and maybe even having fun. She's living in Manchester and Louis is from Doncaster, so they have a few friends in common. After they talked, he went back to Angelina. Eleanor is his choice.


	6. Deal

Hi everyone.

I wanna make something clear before you read this next chapter. Louis broke up with Hannah in July, right after their work trip to LA and she tweeted about it a few days later, not in March. It doesn't even matter at the end of the day, because this is fiction. It's not real. But I just wanted to clear it up.

Also, before you think I'm a calderic (lol), I'm not. But I also don't hate her, so that's why she's not mean/annoying here. Enjoy it. x

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><p>Louis and Eleanor had a meeting with some people from Modest the afternoon after the party, like Angelina said. He decided not to tell Harry before reading the contract. In fact, he wasn't even sure about signing it. So when Louis got in the office and saw Eleanor there, he started going paranoid. The real Louis Tomlinson would never do this because he doesn't give a shit. Is he becoming someone else? Right now, there are only two things he is determined to fight for: his career and his relationship with Harry. The only two things Louis cares about can't collide unless he signs that stupid contract.<p>

People were talking in different corners of the room, around 10 of them, including Eleanor. Louis wondered if she knew about all the shit that happens there. Again, everything was perfectly organized and everyone stopped talking as soon as he arrived and a bearded man _(no pun intended)_ said:

— Good afternoon, Mr Tomlinson. Would you like to sit down? — He smiled and handed him a contract copy, then with his hand on Louis' back and pointing to the table, he guided him to his chair. — Do you need something? Water, a cup of tea, maybe?

— No, thank you Sir, I'm fine. Let's start, shall we? — he used his polite tone while taking his seat. Eleanor was sitting right in front of him, on the other side of the table and when their eyes met, she gave him a shy smile.

After a 20 minutes long speech about press, they finally started talking about the contract. It was time to start reading.

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><p><strong><span>CONTRACT 4 (edited)<span>**

**MODEST!MANAGEMENT**

As One Direction's official label, along with Sony Music and Syco Entertainment, Modest!Management presents a commitment contract involving Mr Louis William Tomlinson and Ms Eleanor Jane Calder, both having a signed deal with our company.

This contract consists in preserving Mr Tomlinson's image, being one of the members of our newest client. For the sake of their future careers as individuals, our sponsors and administrators came up with a few items that must be kept under extreme security and never mentioned by the involved ones.

**1. **Mr Tomlinson and Ms Calder are now in a relationship, according to the terms mentioned above and the policy of our company.

**2. **This contract should never be mentioned by anyone from Syco, Sony or Modest.

**3.** Ms Calder will be receiving amounts of money for her services. Every picture, social media and public action that contribute for this clause, will be reviewed by Modest!Management. In a period of seven (7) days, Ms Eleanor will be paid for the said actions.

**4. **Every interview, public photo and scandal will be handled by our employees, meaning that Ms Eleanor Jane Calder and Mr Louis William Tomlinson are only allowed to talk about their relationship after the company's permission to do so.

**5. **This contract will last until September 2016.

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><p>Louis raised his eyes to find Eleanor with a focused expression. He wasn't feeling nervous about it anymore. It wasn't that bad. It's just a contract, right? And she's a nice girl, they can hang out and have fun. Louis could imagine his sister, Lottie, Harry's sister, Gemma and Eleanor being girly and having slumber parties together. Ew.<p>

— But what happens if the contract is broken? — it was a valid question, what happens if he accidentally says something he shouldn't? Is he going to jail? Everyone knows Louis is spontaneous, what if he's _too_ spontaneous? This is kind of scary.

— Well, it depends. It would cost a lot of money and time and I'm sure you don't want that. If you or your band mates break this contract, One Direction also breaks our management contract, which could certainly mean the end of your careers. — How can they look so happy while giving bad news? Obviously heartless people. — Can you sign it, please? We have a meeting with Olly in 10 minutes.

The man gave Eleanor a pen and she started signing it a little too slow and Louis was thankful because he needed time to think. How would Harry react? How would their fans react? And his friends, the rest of the band, his family? It was too much to think and Eleanor was now finished. That was it. It was his turn.

He signed it. _Oh shit..._

— Thank you so much, we're so glad to have you as our clients. — A woman with the biggest nose Louis has ever seen started talking and shaking hands with them at the same time. Bizarre. — I'm Katie, by the way. I'll take care of your social media profiles, places you'll be seen together and a bunch of other things. Take your time, get to know each other while we set up a massive plan for your first appearance as a couple, alright? I'll give you a call as soon as we figure everything out around here.

**At the hotel**

— Bloody hell, Louis, where were you? Are you trying to kill us all? Fizzy called. Ya wanna get some tacos? Niall told me about this great restaur-

— Harry, sit down. — Louis interrupted.


	7. Frustration

— Are you serious? You can't be serious. — Harry was ready to go out and eat some tacos with his boyfriend, just like he planned, but now his good mood was gone, his keys were on the floor and he was walking in circles, with both hands on his head, repeating the same thing to himself over and over again: "he can't be serious.. he _can't_ be serious". Of course he definitely hadn't seen it coming. At least not from I-don't-care-what-people-say Louis.

— Just think about it for a second, okay? If I had a girlfriend, people wouldn't suspect a thing! I think it's actually a good idea at the end of the day.

How could Louis say something like that? It wasn't a good idea at all. They were perfectly capable of hiding their relationship ALONE and hiring a beard is totally unnecessary. How could Louis agree with this bullshit? Harry was _so_ frustrated. His curls wrapped around his fingers while he tried to get this crazy idea inside his mind. And then one single thought stopped him.

— Are you gonna have to kiss her? Oh my god. Are you gonna_ hold hands _with her? — He asked and immediately felt the tears coming. Louis' heart broke a little because he had never seen Harry so hurt before. Not even when they lost The X Factor.

— Harry, I don't know... I-

— Tell me if you're gonna have to kiss her in public, Louis. _TELL ME._ Why is everything SO DIFFICULT between us? What if you have to hold hands with her? _ARE YOU GONNA DO IT?_ — He yelled, letting all his emotions out and found his answer in Louis' silence. Harry couldn't face him, so he turned around, trying to calm himself down. The bravery they talked about everyday wasn't there. Just the thought of Louis' lips touching whoever that girl was, makes Harry sick. What if she's a bitch? Or even worse: _what if she's nice and Louis actually falls in love with her_?

— You know what? I don't know why you're so worried about this. What is it? Aren't you sure about your feelings for me? Because you know how I feel about you. I literally broke up with Hannah to be with you. If you weren't so damn insecure all the time, maybe things wouldn't be so difficult.

Harry couldn't believe it. He laughed. There's no fucking way Louis just said that. He went from heartbroken to angry in two seconds and turned around to face Louis, with the most ironic smile on his face.

— Oh, I see. You wanna talk about us, huh? You wanna talk about how I'm always trying to make you feel perfect and how I'm always putting your feelings before my own to make you feel loved. But I guess it's not good enough for you, right? I'm such a terrible boyfriend. Maybe _"Eleanor"_ is better than me. In fact, why don't you get in your stupid car – YES, THE ONE WE HAD SEX IN. TWICE. – and go after her? Then at least you won't have to fake anything anymore. You wanna know what else? I think she-

Harry was interrupted by the phone. Louis couldn't even move. Shocked, angry and frustrated all at once. After 10 seconds, he sighed and picked it up.

— Hello?

— Louis? Hi, it's Katie from Modest, remember me? We talked earlier.

— Oh, hi Katie. How can I help you? — Harry rolled his eyes at that pathetic talk, ready to start screaming again as soon as it was finished.

— Well, you'll meet Eleanor tonight. I managed some paparazzi, so make sure you give them something to photograph. Call me when you're done, okay?

After getting all the instructions for his date with Eleanor, Louis hung up and Harry calmly asked:

— Who was it? — His arms crossed over his stomach, obviously jealous.

— Um... it was.. Katie from Modest.

— What did she want?

— She called because.. — Louis cleared his throat — I have a date with Eleanor tonight.

That was it. Harry was just... done. He got his keys and went out the door. He wanted to get away from Louis as fast as possible.

— Oh come on, Harry.. don't... — It was too low, almost a whisper and that's not what Harry was expecting. He wanted Louis to scream, beg, _cry_ for him to come back. But he didn't.

— Don't _WHAT_? HUH? You need to get ready for your date with your girlfriend. I won't bother you.

— Well, yeah. Maybe you should leave. — Louis said, while Harry was walking down the Hotel's hallway. He thought it was for the best, but his words were like little knives cutting Harry's heart into a million pieces. The pain hit him so hard he had to stop, close his eyes, breathe and turn around to stare right inside Louis' eyes one more time.

— Don't worry about it. — He forced a smile and left. Angry tears fell as Harry walked away from the person he loves the most. But where exactly is he going?

— Yo, Harold, what's up? — Yes, that's what he did. Harry called Zayn because he always knows the right things to say at moments like this.

— Can I... uhm... can I sleep in your room tonight?


	8. Flashback

Hi, yall! This chapter was so painful to write I'm still emo about it. I recommend you to listen to "Same Mistakes" by this unkown band called One Direction while you read it. I bet you haven't heard of them. I also wanna say I've always wanted to write notes at the top of fanfics and now I can. Enjoy.x

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><p>Louis and Eleanor had dinner at a fancy restaurant and there were a few interesting moments along the night, like when he asked about her thoughts on beards and her plans for the future. They talked about it for a while and it was easy to see she had it all planned. The food wasn't <em>amazing<em> but talking to someone about normal things made Louis' heart warmer, like when he calls Stan or talks to Hannah. It felt like home. They hugged and camera flashes were everywhere.

Finally, Louis was back in the HOTEL AND started thinking about Harry's words after avoiding the subject during his time with Eleanor.

There's nothing he can do about it now. He signed it. It's done. Harry makes such a big deal out of things sometimes. It's not like he would fall in love with her. Why is he so insecure? Why are they fighting so much? If they share the same feeling, why is it so complicated? Louis let his thoughts flow until the last drop of wine was gone and he fell asleep with an empty space on Harry's side of the bed.

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><p><strong>Room 405 8:17pm<strong>

Zayn opened the hotel room's door and there was Harry, with red eyes from crying and messy hair. He gave the younger boy a comprehensive smile.

— Come in, man. — Zayn invited. Harry walked in, feeling weak and vulnerable to be asking for help. That's not something he normally does but Louis has power over him. Power that can be used for good and bad and right now, he was feeling like shit. — What happened?

The first thing Zayn thought about seeing Harry so affected was death. Maybe a family member? A friend? But that wouldn't explain why he wanted to sleep there. They are good friends but it's hard to talk about personal things because it sounds too cliché and it makes them think someone's gonna make fun of them, which sucks. Both Zayn and Harry were happy to finally break that wall.

— Well, you know Louis and I are pretty close lately, right? So... it can be a little hard for you and the boys to understand, but I kinda like him. A lot. — He raised his eyes to see Zayn's reaction. He didn't look surprised at all.

— I see the way you look at each other, I'm not stupid. So this is about Louis, then?

Okay, _that_ was fast. Harry loves people who get what he's too shy or uncomfortable to say and Zayn is one of those people.

— You wanna know how it all started?

**Flashback - X Factor Bootcamp at Wembley Arena**

It was a sunny day at Wembley Arena in London and Harry's face hurt from smiling. It's real. It's happening. He was there, at the X Factor bootcamp. There were a lot of people there. People everywhere. Some of them with guitars, playing for little groups. Everyone was having fun and it was great to watch, but he needs to pee.

The bathroom wasn't the cleanest and Harry tried to ignore it. There were two other guys there and he randomly stood next to the one with a red beanie.

— Oops — Harry said, when their bodies collided.

— Hi — The other boy said. They laughed.

— I'm Louis. And you are..? — Louis looked so excited and smiley it was impossible not to smile too.

— Harry. — They were alone now and washing their hands. Harry felt like Louis was being slow so their talk could last longer.

— You know, Harry — Louis said. — I'm glad I stood next to you at the urinals. If I had to get someone's pee splashed on me, I'd much rather have your pee than his pee.

— What a nice compliment! I'm honoured. — Harry loves people who can make him laugh and this guy is definitely one of them. Louis is hilarious.

— You're gonna be famous, Harry. I can feel it. Seriously, don't worry about it. You're going through.

They talked for about one hour after going back to the crowd. Harry knew he wasn't supposed to cheer for anyone besides himself, but after their talk, he really wanted Louis to go through. This competition is incredibly stressful and he could use a good laugh.

**Flashback off**

— I _knew_ it, Zayn. I knew it from the very beginning. We got along so well... it's just sad. — It was weird because Harry never talked about Louis like that to anyone and devastating to watch how their relationship went from perfect to problematic so fast.

— Alright, here's what we're gonna do: I'm gonna lend you some sick clothes, call some people up and we're gonna party, whatcha say? It doesn't matter, cause we're going anyway. Shower. NOW! — Zayn grabbed Harry by his arms and pulled him out of the couch, leading his body to the bathroom. 10 minutes ago, all he wanted to do was stay in bed and watch sad movies, but now he was ready to go out and sink his stupid fight with Louis in booze and loud electronic music.


End file.
